"Google it" has become a common refrain when seeking answers to trivia, settling bar bets, and, perhaps, best of all, getting directions. Whether you're driving, walking, taking public transit, or bicycling, Google Maps (free) can give you direction. Living in New York City, I regularly use Maps for walking, biking, and transit, and when I leave town, I always lean on the app for driving directions. After acquiring Waze last year, Google recently integrated the latter's crowd-sourced traffic data into Maps, so you can now enjoy free, live traffic updates. (The Waze app is still available as a separate download.) Google Maps easily retains Editors' Choice for its robust mapping algorithms and point-of-interest (POI) database.

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Interface, Map Graphics, and POI SearchI tested Google Maps using a Verizon Samsung Galaxy S4 running Android 4.4.2 (KitKat). The welcome screen is a map of your current location and you can choose Satellite, Terrain, and Google Earth views. You can easily input your destination by using search or clicking Explore Nearby. Once you begin routing you can choose to avoid highways, tolls, or ferries. You can easily save your home and work addresses for faster navigation by typing "home" or "work" into the search box.

Maps is easy to use for the most part, but one of my favorite features, Search Nearby, has been replaced by a lesser feature, in my opinion, Explore Nearby, which gives you curated lists of area restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and more. In my experience, the results are often not all that relevant, with the closest restaurant still miles away, when I know there's one within several blocks. It seems that ever since Google began integrating Zagat ratings into Maps, restaurants with Zagat ratings are given higher placement, even if they're farther away. The sponsored listing at the top of the results is annoying, but I suppose that's the price you pay for a free app.

I searched for six area businesses, some of which are new enough to stump some databases, and Google found all but one, my favorite diner, instead showing me one with the same name in Westfield, NJ. (I got identical results in Waze.)

Car Navigation, Other Features, and ConclusionsI use Google Maps mostly for walking and transit directions, but when I am in a car, I'll use it for driving direction. It's always spot-on, whether driving locally or on longer trips. With Waze traffic alerts now integrated into Google Maps, it's gotten even better. You can only view traffic info on Google Maps though; you have to use the Waze app to report or confirm incidents. If a faster route becomes available while you're navigating, a pop-up will give you the option to switch; if you ignore it, the pop-up will disappear after 30 seconds.

The navigation screen shows time and distance to destination and your ETA. Clicking your phone's menu button or the on-screen menu button gives you the option to view alternate routes, mute or unmute voice guidance, and show traffic or satellite view.

Voice prompts are timely and easy to understand, if a bit robotic sounding. If available, you can see street views of your destination by pressing and holding the screen. The app also shows you which lane to be in when entering or exiting a highway. If you're not driving, you can choose public transit, bicycling, or walking directions. Even if you don't have a cellular signal, you can conveniently access cached versions of maps, which is very helpful.

With Google Maps, the company continues to improve upon an already great product. With a multitude of features and navigation for several modes of travel, it's hard to beat. Plus, there's now a fun new feature—Google Maps Trivia—which essentially incorporates Maps into a geography-based game. It's fun and addictive.

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Molly K. McLaughlin is a New York-based writer and editor with more than a decade of experience covering technology. She has tested and reviewed all sorts of software, mobile apps, and gadgets. Before launching her freelance business, she was an editor at PC Magazine, covering consumer electronics, followed by a stint at ConsumerSearch.com, a review website. Molly also runs About.com's Android site and contributes to DealNews and other online publications.
Follow her on Twitter @bloggingmolly.
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